Detection and Characterization of Benzimidazole Resistance in California Populations of Colletotrichum cereale

ABSTRACT Colletotrichum cereale is the causal agent of turfgrass anthracnose, which has become a serious problem on annual bluegrass (Poa annua) and creeping bentgrass (Agrostis palustris) golf course putting greens. Thiophanate-methyl is a benzimidazole (methyl benzimidazole carbamate [MBC]) fungicide used for the management of anthracnose. In this study, we examined 481 isolates from 10 California populations to determine the presence and frequency of MBC resistance. An in vitro methodology was developed to construct a baseline sensitivity distribution using 60 isolates from an unexposed population (TCGC). The 50% effective dose (ED50) values for the baseline sensitivity distribution for thiophanate-methyl ranged from 0.14 to 2.3 μg/ml with a mean of 0.75 μg/ml. For 60 isolates assayed from an exposed population (AHCC), 57 isolates were not responsive to in vitro concentrations of thiophanate-methyl of up to 30 μg/ml. Isolates nonresponsive to thiophanate-methyl were not responsive to benomyl in vitro. ...